People who felt the least supported when they went vegan were more likely to stay vegan than people who felt more supported.

Take a look at “Do vegans thrive in adversity?”:

“In 2011 pledgers were asked at the end of the pledge about how difficult various challenges had been including “other’s attitudes” rated from 1 (very easy) to 5 (very difficult). Those who found other’s attitudes more difficult were more likely to stay vegan. Out of 49 pledgers, 13 gave a rating of 4 or 5 on the difficulty of other’s attitudes and all but one of these (92%) chose to stay vegan.”

“Why might those who found friends and family least supportive be the most likely to stay vegan? One obvious reason might be a third variable. Those who were most passionate about being vegan were most likely to stay vegan and also to have disagrements with others. Another reason might be that those who had trouble with lack of support or others’ attitudes became more committed to being vegan to better integrate with a new social community.”

Of course, the sample size is small. And there’s the issue of self-reporting. But this is interesting nonetheless.

Link to survey discussion here: http://theveganoption.org/2011/12/04/vegan-pledge-statistics-adversity/

Crossposted at Selling Compassion >>

About half of all people who claim to be vegetarian actually eat animals. The Humane Research Council states, “A small proportion of U.S. adults (1-3% of the population, or 2-6 million adults) are ‘actual’ veg*ns, though about twice that number (4-6%) consider themselves vegetarian when asked by researchers.” source: HRC

Some people with eating disorders use vegetarianism as an excuse. The American Dietetic Association says, “Being vegetarian does not cause disordered eating as some have suggested although a vegetarian diet may be selected to camouflage an existing eating disorder” source: ADA

Many people call themselves “ex-vegetarians” when they increase their meat-consumption even though they often weren’t ever vegetarian! In a recent small study about the motivations of ex-vegetarians, the study authors stated that “Most participants ate some meat when they were in their vegetarian stage” source: scribd

Do you have any other examples of nonveg*ns and anti-veg*ns appropriating our terminology?

Here are two quotes from the paper that summarize the research:

“Newspapers tend to discredit veganism through ridicule, or as being difficult or impossible to maintain in practice. Vegans are variously stereotyped as ascetics, faddists, sentimentalists, or in some cases, hostile extremists. The overall effect is of a derogatory portrayal of vegans and veganism that we interpret as ‘vegaphobia’. [...] This is problematic in three, interrelated, respects. First, it empirically misrepresents the experience of veganism, and thereby marginalizes vegans. Second, it perpetuates a moral injury to omnivorous readers who are not presented with the opportunity to understand veganism and the challenge to speciesism that it contains. Third, and most seriously, it obscures and thereby reproduces exploitative and violent relations between human and nonhuman animals.”

Essentially, they did a content analysis of UK newspaper articles in 2007 that mentioned veganism. They rated the discussion as positive, neutral, or negative. The totals were as follows: 22 positive articles, 80 neutral articles, and 295 negative articles. Clearly, the majority of mainstream media discussions about veganism are negative.

The article concludes:

“vegaphobic discourse facilitates the continued normalization of human violence on an unimaginable scale. Instead of veganism being used as an opportunity to open up debates about our relationships with nonhuman animals, it is abused as a reason not to care, or even think, about these issues. [...]”

“It may be a vain hope that speciesist Western culture is to be imminently overthrown in favour of a peaceful and compassionate vegan utopia. As Carrie Packwood Freeman notes, in terms of moral progress, ‘the news poses no threat to the anthropocentric worldview that enables animal exploitation’ (2009: 98). However, an understanding of the elaborate interplay of anti-vegan stereotypes, the near silencing of vegan opinion and experience and the absence of animals’ rights viewpoints from discussions of veganism is suggestive of fruitful anti-speciesist strategies vis-à-vis the media. The sheer effort to discredit veganism may be evidence of Brian Luke’s (2007) view that human violence towards nonhuman animals is deeply problematic to most humans. If it were not, there would be little purpose to vegaphobic discourse [...]“

In other words, the way mainstream media treats vegans and veganism does a disservice to vegans, to nonvegan readers, and to (nonhuman) animals. If mainstream media published less biased and more truthful information about the topics of veganism, animal rights, animal agribusiness, and other related issues then virtually everyone would benefit.

Lastly, the paper offers a solution (as all good criticisms ought to do):

“An effective practical interim strategy to combat media vegaphobia might be for vegan academics and NGOs to position themselves to newspaper editors and journalists as ‘experts’ or consultants on veganism and the real life experiences of vegans.”

May I suggest an alternative strategy? For the vegans who can, I suggest that you make your own media! That means vegans out to blog, vlog, publish a zine, write a book, and so forth. Don’t wait for the media to change; become the media.

You can read the paper here >>

Emphasis added in the quotes above.

Meat can make you sick.

CNN recently reported that almost 50% of meat is infected with dangerous bacteria. About 25% is infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria, aka superbugs like MRSA.

Here’s what they wrote:

Almost half of the meat and poultry sold at U.S. supermarkets and grocery stores contains a type of bacteria that is potentially harmful to humans, a new study estimates.

Researchers tested 136 packages of chicken, turkey, pork, and ground beef purchased at 26 grocery stores in five cities around the country, and found that 47 percent contained Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a common cause of infection in people.

What’s more, roughly half of the contaminated samples contained strains of the bacteria that were resistant to at least three antibiotics, such as penicillin and tetracycline. Some strains were resistant to a half dozen or more

Emphasis added.

Remember, this isn’t new. Over two years ago, another study found MRSA in nearly half of factory farmed pigs AND the pig workers. Just over one year ago, CBS warned  “overuse of antibiotics in animals is leading to the creation of new strains of drug resistant bacteria that could make humans sick” and said “evidence of MRSA has been found in the nation’s meat supply.”

The CDC expressed concern about factory farms and the rise in drug-resistant bacteria. And in 2008 the LA Times warned “Factory farms produce cheap meat, until you consider the rivers of sewage, the contaminants and the superbugs.”

CNN is recommending that people cook meat thuroughly in order to make it safe to eat. And to make sure not to crosscontaminate other food or kitchenwares with uncooked meat. But there’s an easier way to kee your kitchen safe and feed your children clean foods: choose vegan.

It gets easier every day.

Personally, going vegan was a whole lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I had a few set-backs here and there but in the long run it was no problem. And having been vegan now for years, I can say with certainty that there’s no going back. I’m vegan for life!

No matter where you start, going vegan is going to include some challenges. Some people will find it more difficult than others. If you’re current lifestyle includes few vegetables, fruits, grains, and beans, then going vegan is going to be more difficult than for someone who is already eating a wide variety of foods, including vegan foods. But there’s one thing that’s the same for everyone: it gets easier and easier. Eventually, being vegan is just second-nature. In time, it requires almost no thought at all.

A recent survey of over 2000 people found this to be true. The report, called “Vegan From the Inside: Why People Love Plant-Based Diets” found that the difficulty of transitioning to veganism didn’t require much effort and that was outweighed by the benefits of going vegan.

FACTS FROM THE SURVEY:

• According to 64.5% of respondents, transitioning to a plant-based diet required some effort. 10.3% said it took a lot of effort, while 24.9% noted the transition was effortless for them.
• Over time, not much discipline is required to remain vegan; 61.2% observe staying on a vegan diet on an ongoing basis is effortless. Only 3.2% say it takes a lot of effort.
• The percentage who find staying vegan effortless rises the longer people stay on a plant-based diet.

For more information about this issue or other issues discussed in the survey, read the report here: http://perfectformuladiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Vegan-from-the-Inside-rept.pdf

One simple answer to the question, “Why Vegan?” is this” I’m vegan because animal suffering matters to me. I care.”

From Psychology Today:

An article appeared in PLoS one this May which describes brain differences between Vegetarians, Vegans and Omnivores in the way they process pictures of [human and nonhuman] animal suffering. [...]

All things considered, the study suggests that Vegetarians are more empathetic to the suffering of others, but as I contemplate the well-documented health benefits of a Vegetarian diet, as well as the environmental and social hazards of current meat eating habits and production practices, I think it is obvious that reducing your meat consumption will first and foremost be an act of compassion towards yourself.

When I first heard of this study, I worried that it was just another “vegans are just extra-sensitive” excuse from omnivores, suggesting that vegans are sappy and hyper-emotional. After all, that’s something I’d heard my whole life from people who were intent on maintaining the status-quo. But times have changed. People are less likely to call vegans “bleeding hearts” when it’s obvious that defending the cruelty involved in animal agribusiness is irrational, destructive, and just plain mean.

There is no defense for eating animals.

Besides, as the study showed, vegans tend to be more empathetic to humans, too, not just nonhumans!

seven in ten people say they personally support the animal protection movement’s goal to “minimize and eventually eliminate all forms of animal cruelty and suffering.”

However, it comes with a dose of reality:

Despite the fact that these types of questions often yield positive responses, it is significant to think about what this support would mean for animals if taken to its logical conclusion.

The challenge for advocates is to determine how to translate this sentiment into tangible gains for animals.

Indeed, that can be a challenge. Luckily, advocates don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We can simply use the tools already available. For example…

VIDEOS:

• Vegan Video
• Meet Your Meat
• Earthlings
• Fowl Play
• Peaceable Kingdom
• MFA’s Undercover Investigations
• COK’s Undercover Investigations
• COK’s Commercials
• Farm Sanctuary’s Videos
• PETA’s PSAs
• HSUS’s Videos

BOOKLETS:

• Why Vegan?
• Even If You Like Meat, You Can Help End This Cruelty
• Compassionate Choices
• Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating
• Vegetarian Starter Kit from MFA
• Vegetarian Starter Kit from PETA
• Vegetarian Starter Guide from COK

And that list isn’t even 100% inclusive. There are plenty more available resources if the ones I’ve listed above don’t suit you.

To that end, I’ve created a poll that should fairly accurately measure the impact of Vegan Soapbox. See below.

I would like your input. Please complete the poll:

Link to poll: How Has Reading Vegan Soapbox Changed You?

In order to get the most accurate measure to actual Vegan Soapbox readership, this poll will close.
Thank you.
~ Elaine

“More than a quarter of all Americans suffer from diagnosable mental health issues. Many are treated with prescription antidepressants to the tune of about $12 billion, which is what Americans spend on these mood-boosting medications every year. But a new study finds that if we spent all that money on vegetarian diets rather than pills, we might be less depressed.”

Read more here >>

Ready to start your transition to veganism?
Here are some websites that can help:

• http://chooseveg.com/
• http://www.tryveg.com/

PS – I highly recommend regular exercise as well as a veg diet. The two combined can help prevent or cure many types of illnesses.

That is, it is common for humans to feel some empathy for cats, dogs, dolphins, horses, rabbits and other mammals like cows and pigs. Some people act on that empathy by eating only certain types of animals that they think of as dissimilar to humans (such as chickens or fishes). Some people act on that empathy by eating only animals who have been treated according to certain “humane” standards. Vegetarians extend the empathy and choose not to eat animal flesh. Vegans extend that empathy to reach all sentient species and refrain from intentional and unnecessary harm to them.

But what gets someone who cares about animal suffering to make the leap into veganism?

A recent study on empathy compared omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. The study looked at the brains of vegans and nonvegans while showing them images of human and animal suffering. Among other findings, they discovered “a distinctive pattern of empathic response and emotional control in vegans.”

“while omnivores are characterized by a greater activation of the bilateral posterior MTG during both human and animal negative valence scenes, vegetarians and vegans have constantly an higher engagement of empathy related areas while observing negative scenes, independently of the species of the individuals involved” [...]

“Collectively, our results reveal that distinct brain responses are evoked by emotionally significant pictures of humans and animals in people with vegetarian and vegan feeding habits, as well as between vegetarians and vegans, suggesting that different motivational factors might underlie their preferences and moral attitudes.”

What can a vegan advocate learn from this? The take-away, as I see it, is that nonvegans think differently than vegans. We don’t just have different beliefs, habits, education, resources, etc. though we may have those, too; we literally process the knowledge of others’ suffering differently. We literally think about animal suffering differently than omnivores.

Hence, if we want to effectively advocate for animals, we can’t rely solely on the reasoning that is most compelling to us. Nonvegans don’t think like us. So we must include discussions that appeal to nonvegans. We must find ways to encourage animal rights that fit into nonvegans’ paradigms.

An example:

Hat tip: vegan.com